Berger



(N0 Model.)

0. D. SHELLABERGER.

FENCE.

No. 444,170 Patented Jan. 6, 1891.

as co, Pun-Twine msmmmn. n. c.

" UNITED STATES CHARLES D. SHELLABERGER,

PATENT OFFICE.

or INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA;

FENCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 444,170, dated January 6, 1891.

Application filed September 23, 1890. Serial No. 365,914. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES D. SHELLA- BERGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis; in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fences; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains 'tomake and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention has for its object the construction of a fence which can be readily and rapidly manufactured and in which the parts are so connected as to maintain them in their proper relative positions with the use of a minimum quantity of material.

The improvement consists,chiefly,in a fence composed of longitudinal strands or cables arranged at the desired intervals apart and parallel with each other and vertical or'cross wires arranged atright angles to the strands or cables and connected to the latter at the points of intersection in such a manner as to prevent lateral play of the cross-wires without interfering with the expansion and contraction of the cables and without employing extraneous or supplementary means of connection. I accomplish this by providing the cross-wires at intervals corresponding to the intervals between the longitudinal strands or cables with offsets at right angles to the length of the cross-wires and parallel with the cables. The wire at the opposite ends of these offsets (which may be of any desired length) is bent to form angles, and around the ofiscts or hori' zontal portions of the cross-wires between the angles the strands or cables are coiled two or more times. As the offsets are straight and the strands or cables are coiled around the same, it will be seen that the angles at the ends of the offsets bear against the ends of the coils, and therefore, although there may be a slight lateral play of the cross-wires, they cannot become displaced,and the greater the longitudinal tension on the strands or cables the more tightly the crosswires are bound in position.

I am aware that heretofore fences have been constructed of longitudinal strands or cables D D, are coiled the cables.

and cross-wires having offset-s; but, instead of the offsets being straight and having the strands or cables coiled around them between the angles, as in my improved fence, the offsets and strands or cables have been twisted together, in which case if the twists are loose (as is frequently the case when the work is done by machinery) the cross-wires are free to move laterally and become displaced, and if the twists are tightthe cables are deprived of all the elasticity which may be derived from the coils and are rendered rigid; and, furthermore, if the strands or cables are strained'or put underseveretension, as in the erection of a fence, the strands or cables will be straightened, thus freeing the cross-wires and enabling them to be moved laterally.

-My invention consists,-further, in certain details 7 of construction and arrangement, which will be clearly pointed out hereinafter, in connection with the drawings, wherein- Figures 1 and 2 are side views of a fence embodying my invention.

The single-strand cables A A are arranged horizontally at the desired intervals and parallel with each other, and the vertical or cross wires B are provided at intervals corresponding with the intervals between the cables with offsets O C at right angles to the length of the cross-wires and parallel with the cables, thus forming angles D D at opposite ends of the offsets.

Around the offsets 0, between the angles The cable may be coiled two or more times around each offset; but I have found that twice is sufficient under ordinary circumstances, and the coils are not placed close together, but are spread so that opposite ends of the coils bear against the angles at the opposite ends of the offsets, thereby preventing lateral play to any great extent of the crosswires. Even if the coils are loose and do not hug the offset or horizontal portion of the cross-wire snugly, the latter cannot become displaced, owing'to the angles, which, being in the cross-wire, are not subject to strain, and therefore cannot become straightened. Therefore the elasticity of the cables is simply enhanced without affecting the strength or effectiveness of the fence when the coils are loose. When the cables are under tension, as when contracted ICO by cold or during the process of erecting the fence, the strain is parallel with the offsets, and when the coils are stretched so as to bring their ends against the angles the cross-wires cannot be distorted, as when the inner diameter of the coil is reduced to the size of the wire forming the offset; the cable cannot be further extended.

Another advantage of my improved fence is that the peculiar connections between the cables and the cross-wire enable it to be sprung up or down in traversing a hill or a hollow without bending the parts out of shape or straining the connections.

The connection of the cross-wires with the top and bottom cablesis accomplished in the I same way as with the intermediate cables, thus simplifying the construction; but the 3 ends of said cross-wires may be finished in a variety of ways. which is preferable in many cases for the top of the fence, is to provide one end of the off- I set with a small loop or book E, which 011- gages with the end coil in the cable. This forms a firm connection, and all slipping or displacement is prevented, as the said loop 1 or hook takes the place of one of the angles which are formed at the extremities of the offsets. top of the fence with barbs as an ornament or protection, this may be accomplished by simply bending the extension of the cross- I wire, which in the other case forms the loop or hook up to a vertical position, as shown at i in the drawings. gral with the cross-wire, and, as it is perpendicular to the offset, an angle is formed which bears against the end of the coil in the cable and prevents lateral displacement.

at the intermediate points of the cross-wire.

At the bottom of the fence I have found it of advantage to form a ring or similar ornament, as seen at G in the drawings, upon which the fence may rest, in order to hold the bottom wire out of contact with the ground when the cables become slack. Furthermore, when these depending ornaments are employed it is not necessary to subject the cables to such severe tension as in other cases. To form these rings I extend the cross-wire and bend it around until its extremity is close to the opposite end of the offset from which the ring starts, thus forming an ornamental finish tor the lower end of the cross- 'wire and at the same time providing an angle at the end of the coil to prevent lateral displacement of said cross-wire. These rings may, if preferrethbe formed also on the The simplest way, and that i it, however, it isdesired to provide the Thus the bath is into-- 'lhis an- 5 gle obviously corresponds with the angles} which are formed at the ends of the offsets upper ends of the crosswires as ornaments, t or this extension of the crosswire maybe bent into any other fanciful figure, as an arl row-head. (Shown at H, Fig. Thus it i will be seen that to secure the ends of the l cross-wires it is simply necessary to provide an anglc whieh bears against the end coil 1% and corresponds with the angles which are formed at opposite ends of the intermediate offsets, and therefore the extensions which are formed at the extremities of the top and bottom offsets may be either extended and sharpened to form barbs or bent upon themselves to form loops or hooks or coiled to l form a ring or otherornament, to suit the taste of the manufacturer.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

l. A fence having longitudinal strands or cables and cross-wires provided at intervals with offsets parallel with said strands or cables, the strands or cables being coiled i loosely around said offsets, whereby when said strands or cables are put under tension the said coils are enabled to extend and relieve the strain, substantially as specified.

2. A fence having longitudinal cables arranged at intervals and the cross-wires prol vided at intervals corresponding to the interl l l l vals between the cables with offsets parallel with the cables, and angles at the ends of said offsets, the cables being coiled around the offsets between the angles, whereby the cross-wires are held from displacement by said angles striking against the ends of the coils in the cables, substantially as and for l the purpose specified.

3. The combination, in a tence, of 1ongitudinal cables provided with coils, the crosswires provided with offsets which extend axially through said coils, and the extensions at the ends of the cross-wires bent upon themselves to form rings, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

l 4-. The combination, in a fence, of longitudinal cables provided with coils which are aligned axially with the cables, the crosswires provided with offsets which are parallel with the cables and extend axially through said coils, and the barbs integral with and perpendicular to the offsets at the upper ends of said cross-wires, substantially as specified. t In testimony whereof I atiix mysignature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES l). SHELLABERGER.

il'itnesses:

M. II. DANIELS, .I. O. SwIenRT. 

